Inexpensive Mini-Greenhouse - DIY Thirty years ago, I bought MOTHER EARTH NEWS to help pass the time while I was a U.S. Navy sailor stationed on an aircraft carrier. I enjoyed reading the magazine from cover to cover — often three or more times per cruise — and I couldn’t wait for the next issue. The magazine has inspired me to do many projects. Recently, I wanted to try growing in a small raised garden bed. I also made a mini-greenhouse cover for the bed so the crops could get an earlier start. Robert FordMontrose, Pennsylvania
Inexpensive Mini-Greenhouse - DIY Thirty years ago, I bought MOTHER EARTH NEWS to help pass the time while I was a U.S. Navy sailor stationed on an aircraft carrier. I enjoyed reading the magazine from cover to cover — often three or more times per cruise — and I couldn’t wait for the next issue. The magazine has inspired me to do many projects. Recently, I wanted to try growing in a small raised garden bed. I also made a mini-greenhouse cover for the bed so the crops could get an earlier start. Robert FordMontrose, Pennsylvania
Planning and Building a Greenhouse Adapted from Fact Sheet 645 - University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, David S. Ross, Extension Agricultural Engineer, Department of Agricultural Engineering Careful planning is important before a home greenhouse project is started. Building a greenhouse does not need to be expensive or time-consuming. Location The greenhouse should be located where it gets maximum sunlight. Deciduous trees, such as maple and oak, can effectively shade the greenhouse from the intense late afternoon summer sun; however, they should not shade the greenhouse in the morning. Good drainage is another requirement for the site. Types of Greenhouses A home greenhouse can be attached to a house or garage, or it can be a freestanding structure. Attached Greenhouses Lean-to. Even-span. Window-mounted. Freestanding Structures Freestanding greenhouses are separate structures; they can be set apart from other buildings to get more sun and can be made as large or small as desired (Figure 2C). Frames Quonset.
How to Make Your Own Coldframe A coldframe—simply an enclosed area with a clear top to let in sunlight—is one of the easiest ways to extend your growing and harvest season. All you need are a few basic supplies and your imagination. (Imagine: crunchy fresh lettuce for the holidays!) Here’s what to do. Start at the Top The only essential for the frame’s cover is that light gets through. Many people use old window sashes. In extreme northern areas, glass isn’t always the best option. If you’re buying material to cover your coldframe, consider Lexan, an improvement over Lucite. Other gardeners prefer the corrugated fiberglass (4-by-8-foot panels) sold for greenhouse walls.
Build a Barn Greenhouse I have been dying to show you my Mother's Day present. For years and years and years, I've been wanting a greenhouse. Up here in Alaska, the only way you are going to eat cucumbers or tomatoes off the vine is to grow a greenhouse. But every year, every spring, we just have so much going on, the greenhouse never happens. Next year, we say. I thought next year would never come. We were already saying next year this year. So I tried something different I said, what about tonight? We started cutting boards at 4PM that night. By that evening we had completed all of the wall framing. I was so excited couldn't stop myself from sharing a pic via instagram and twitter! That first night, we actually called it an early night! The next morning, we got up and assembled the panels in the driveway. We used roofing tin for the side panels. The corners are trimmed in simple metal flashing. For the greenhouse panels, we used the ribbing strips, but they aren't entirely necessary. All of the panels are predrilled
Build a $300 underground greenhouse for year-round gardening (Video) Growers in colder climates often utilize various approaches to extend the growing season or to give their crops a boost, whether it's coldframes, hoop houses or greenhouses. Greenhouses are usually glazed structures, but are typically expensive to construct and heat throughout the winter. A much more affordable and effective alternative to glass greenhouses is the walipini (an Aymara Indian word for a "place of warmth"), also known as an underground or pit greenhouse. Here's a video tour of a walipini that shows what a basic version of this earth-sheltered solar greenhouse looks like inside: © Benson Institute It's a pretty intriguing set-up that combines the principles of passive solar heating with earth-sheltered building. The Walipini utilizes nature’s resources to provide a warm, stable, well-lit environment for year-round vegetable production. SilverThunder/via Cheap but effective, the underground greenhouse is a great way for growers to produce food year-round in colder climates.
Urban Greenhouse - Alex's Hobby Site Please feel free to email any questions to koolex11@netzero.com. I'll be more than happy to help you out. The House: Here is how I built my small (4X8) greenhouse out of old windows. After many gardens, some successes and some failures, I moved for the first time to a city row home. First, I found some old windows around town. Great ways to find free (or very cheap) windows: Drive around on garbage night Email your friends and co-workers. Step 2: It is definitely easier to design the frame around the windows, rather than trying to find windows to fit the frame. I covered the back side with plywood because a) it faces south, b) there is a fence that I didn't feel like dealing with, and c. Notice the windows fit the 2X4 frame. The four corners of each window are held to the frame with screws put in diagonally. No I did not run out of windows. The greenhouse sits on an old concrete foundation, but I used stone to level the area and provide drainage under the structure. Hydroponic system
Grow Food Year Round in a $300 Underground Greenhouse » Homestead Guru The word Walipini, derived from the Aymaran language and an indigenous Bolivian tribe, is translated as “a place of warmth” and is an earth sheltered cold frame or transparent-roofed enclosure. This underground greenhouse was created for the cold regions of South America to maintain food production year round, but is now being adopted by gardeners of all skill levels across the world. Most say that Walipinis should be at least 8’ by 12’ in size, but many people build even larger. Searching online you can find all types of plans and blueprints on how to design your underground greenhouse. The temperature six to eight feet below the surface fluctuates from 50 up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit! If you are in an especially cold climate you would want to lay the inside of your walipini with stone, earth bags of lava rocks, or any dense material able to store heat. Minimal up keep: Seeing as the walipini is sheltered by the earth the materials will not wear as quickly.
20 Re-purposed Window Greenhouses 20 Repurposed Window Greenhouses Related Posts « Chia Seed – Ancient Food of Aztec Warriors Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days [Full Film] » Does Your Community Need a Public Greenhouse? One of things my town has going for it is that it provides community gardens (not just sports fields). Unfortunately, there’s so much demand for these gardens, there’s a long waiting list. Of course, it’s understandable why there is a demand for these plots. How so? NOTE: I’ve heard that a good way to foster conversations at an allotment is to put the water faucet in a central location rather than deliver it to each plot. While community gardens/allotments are great, it’s possible to improve upon it. So, how does this apply to community gardening? One of the best ways to build a gardening or micro-farming space is to build a greenhouse. Here’s an example from a town that’s north of the Arctic Circle called Inuvik: This community greenhouse rents small plots to residents and serves as one of the epicenters of the community. One of the benefits of a community gardening effort is that it’s a way to foster the development of local micro-farmers, food artisans, and much more. Resiliently Yours,
building a greenhouse out of old windows - Greenhouses & Garden Structures Forum I'll be tackling my own window greenhouse soon so it was nice to review this thread. I'm unsure of what my roof will be at this point and I may purchase a clear plastic corrugated roofing material for that if I can't salvage enough glass. This description is long but hopefully detailed enough to give you a good idea or what I have in mind. If anyone has their own ideas, suggestions, constructive criticisms they are welcome to post. When it comes down to it though usually I have to try something for myself even if others say it won't work. Sometimes it proves to be foolish and other times I am rewarded for it. I intend for this greenhouse to have year-round use in one form or another. The size will be roughly 18 ft wide by 20+ long with a gable post and rafter style and shape. This is largely an experiment for me based on many other posts and forums so I am excited to try. I understand the drawbacks of using old windows, especially windows that aren't double paned or tempered glass.